DDR Poetry
by AJ Taylir
Summary: Poetry, free writing, and fan songs, all about and inspired by Dance Dance Revolution.
1. A dancin' ecstasy

A/N: I don't expect this to be great, it's just stuff that popped into my head after playing DDR in the mall arcade. Still, tell me what you think. I'm kind of afraid that people won't like what I write, I don't even let my family read my documents on the comp. I know, silly, but I'm sure a lot of you out there know the feeling. Also, as you might be able to tell, I'm having trouble getting the lines to work, so anyone who knows how to, please email me or something.  
  
My head is swimmin'  
  
My feet are trippin'  
  
I'm in a dancin' ecstasy.  
  
It's a revolution I'm joinin'  
  
As my steps busy fallin'  
  
And some people come to see.  
  
My tokens are vanishin'  
  
As my fervor's progressin'  
  
I get bolder with every beat.  
  
I'm hardly ever noticin'  
  
The pain that's startin'  
  
To establish in my feet.  
  
I don't have time for feelin'  
  
In the middle of dancin'  
  
I've just tuned out of the world  
  
For hours I keep dancin'  
  
Hardly even glancin'  
  
From the arrows as they're whirl'd.  
  
My cares melt away as I'm goin'  
  
Into my trance of dancin'. My tokens run out, I've had enough.  
  
Sensation in my feet's returnin'  
  
I know now how much they're hurtin'.  
  
I have to say, that bout was rough.  
  
It was worth every poundin'  
  
Note, every hard foot steppin'  
  
For the thrill of the dance.  
  
My steps still springin'  
  
As I start walkin'  
  
Outta the arcade and my trance. 


	2. Itching to play

I just can't stand it,  
  
I'm itching to play.  
  
My feet want to dance,  
  
But I cant today.  
  
It's Friday night,  
  
The mall is packed,  
  
The stores are full,  
  
The lines are stacked.  
  
The DDR machine is busy  
  
With guys much better at it.  
  
It's one after the other,  
  
All I can do is watch and sit.  
  
I trudge back to Waldenbooks,  
  
I just won't get a chance.  
  
Ill have to come another day  
  
To get a turn to dance.  
  
A/N: I know, short, but more comes to me when I get to play the game. 


	3. Konamix

A/N: I wrote this a while back, I forgot I had it on my comp  
  
I won't give in to my pain  
  
My agonized muscles and disdain  
  
Allotted by my less-than-quality mat.  
  
I almost kneel to the ground  
  
As my heart continues to pound  
  
And my body threatens to drop flat.  
  
I bought konamix hardly weeks ago  
  
And completed many songs although  
  
It's harder than the 4th mix at the square.  
  
If I cant keep the selfsame beat,  
  
Or if I lose step in my scooting feet  
  
The blue flash of failure threatens to glare.  
  
I know I can always try again, and yet,  
  
My body gets more tired the farther I get,  
  
Regardless of my will or drive.  
  
It's not the same as the arcade machine  
  
It's almost a pity to be seen  
  
As my legs seem less and less alive.  
  
But I found ways to regain my fire  
  
Ways to douse my blistering ire  
  
From losing so easily after winning  
  
Ways to better my skill at home  
  
Rather than finding arcades to roam  
  
I will use them to rise above my scores skimming.  
  
My dance pad's low quality, yes,  
  
An easy method one would guess  
  
Is to buy another one.  
  
But the one that I've got  
  
Will surrender to naught  
  
When my stabilizing pad doctoring's done. 


	4. It's been a while

It's been awhile since I wrote  
  
A poem of the revolution  
  
Well there really only is one way  
  
One answer, one solution  
  
My inspiration hasn't soared  
  
In such a long, long time  
  
So I'm giving it a kick start  
  
In writing this here rhyme  
  
My home scores are improving,  
  
In arcades I'm playing trick  
  
On songs if played at home,  
  
The scores would make me sick.  
  
But at home I'm improving,  
  
Reconciling with my mat,  
  
(A twenty dollar second party,  
  
What a mistake was that)  
  
I'm getting As on basic, trick,  
  
Surviving some maniacs!  
  
It really helps, you see,  
  
I'm listening to tracks.  
  
I copied music off the 'net,  
  
And onto a CD  
  
And listening to them all the time  
  
Has really helped improve me.  
  
I used to suck at super star,  
  
I just couldn't hit those streams,  
  
Now it's no biggie,  
  
I'm looking for harder themes.  
  
They're starting to get to easy,  
  
I hardly have a trial  
  
On my favorite songs and mixes  
  
On the DDR dial.  
  
I'm trying tricks on some,  
  
And bombing here and there,  
  
I failed rhythm & police twice  
  
In one day, made me pull my hair,  
  
I was flustered that I could forget  
  
How badly I had done  
  
The first time that I tried it. (just hours before)  
  
Another two tokens wasted and gone.  
  
I'm wishing for a rival of sorts,  
  
Just that I wasn't alone  
  
With the maniac players on off days  
  
And myself on the other ones.  
  
Someone at my level,  
  
Someone to challenge me,  
  
Someone who doesn't leave me in dust,  
  
Playing maniac end of the century.  
  
(DeSoto square mall, in case any reader is in the area and wants to keep an eye out for me. I'm familiar with a couple of the arcade staff. you can try asking them if you like. Ask for Arelan. Heh, try pronouncing that. stumped? Thought so. Ah-ray-len. if you ask an employee I know, they will know who you're talking about, for obvious reasons. Okay, I'm done yammering. later! *hums bumble bee*) 


	5. Getting adventurous

(A/N: I cant remember my standard length, but this one feels short. Oh  
well, the next one will make up for it.)  
  
I'm getting adventurous,  
I'm getting bored  
With these songs in which  
My scores have soared  
Basic's not a challenge,  
Trick can get tough  
Picking and choosing new songs  
Is aggravating rough.  
Can't do maniac,  
The steps pass me by  
But trick is borderline  
My scores are low and high.  
Rhythm & police killed me,  
.59 was a cinch  
Super star was hard at first,  
But it did in a pinch.  
Drop out's too fast,  
Butterfly's slow,  
I'm trying to find new faves,  
But I don't have many ways to go.  
My standbys are aced,  
Not much I can do,  
Most songs make me bored,  
As slow as they move.  
Only a few have stuck on as work  
Others are walks in the park  
As for new ones to keep on my toes,  
That's a search in the dark. 


	6. Tuesday in the arcade

(A/N: wow, this one is long. I hope you enjoy it, it compensates for the  
last one being so short.)  
  
Tuesday in the mall arcade,  
It's empty but for me,  
A guy on some racing game,  
And the staff of two or three.  
I step up to the panel,  
Slip in a coin or two,  
I've done this quite so many times,  
I don't think about what I do.  
I pick all music on the left,  
End up with konsento,  
Scroll through for a song I want,  
Not sure which to go.  
There it is, I fire up,  
But I'm yet to pay my dues.  
Today's an initiation of sort,  
For my brand-new shoes.  
I beat the soles in two pair,  
They just couldn't take it,  
Now I've got this sturdy pair,  
And hope that it can make it.  
Am I suicidal?  
It can be said as true,  
Cause I really messed up big time,  
For my first song, what do I do?  
I pick dariram euro,  
On trick, six feet, no less.  
I steel myself for a rough trip,  
And await this melodic duress.  
The music floods my every cell,  
My mind is taken in,  
The rhythm is my favorite speed,  
And the world fades as arrows spin.  
I somehow manage to make it,  
With a C, I'm not impressed,  
But hey, I made it that far,  
It could have had more wrest.  
I decide on something low-key,  
But I get a mischievous quirk.  
1,2,3,4,007 maniac,  
It's four, it could work.  
Still boiling from my last song,  
I crank up the fan a notch  
In preparation for a song,  
I hope that I won't botch.  
It's slow, I admit, but not to bad,  
It keeps me on my toes,  
With steady steps and pace,  
With it, my body flows.  
This is it, here comes the wave,  
My inner euphoric state,  
My mind is in an ecstasy,  
As my feet lose pain and weight.  
All I hear is the coursing music,  
All I see are the arrows,  
All I feel is the rhythm,  
As I spring from toe to toe.  
The song becomes my world,  
Until it duly stops,  
Then I pick another,  
And fall into steps and hops.  
This state goes on forever, or,  
Until the game runs out,  
But the feeling still runs in my blood,  
And for more, it yet cries out.  
I sate my passions with my tokens,  
This is it, i swear.  
I adjust the fan and pick my terms,  
And double-check unruly hair.  
My heart thumps out the rhythm  
As I find a new respect,  
A song that can challenge me,  
Without putting me in check.  
I'd waste my day and money,  
But my reasoning wins out,  
I step off the platform,  
And take my first steps out.  
I realize now my feet hurt,  
Blistered by new shoes,  
But all in all was worth it,  
For my fervor, I pay my dues.  
These shoes now initiate  
Their existence as my own,  
They experience their first dance,  
They on my feet have flown.  
My heart is still coursing  
With music still in my mind.  
My body wants to move,  
And not leave that feeling behind.  
My better judgment wins,  
I walk steadily except,  
Amidst my firm footfalls,  
I have a renewed spring in my step. 


	7. This here's the beat

Oh my god,  
This here's the beat  
It's all in my ears,  
But I feel it in my feet.  
Strange enough,  
I've never played it before,  
But its beat's got me itching  
To find the dance floor.  
It's upbeat, it flows,  
My heart follows suit.  
My feet tap to its beat  
It's smooth, to boot.  
That euphoric state is rising,  
Oh, I just can't wait  
To get to the arcade,  
And my desire to sate.  
The rhythm is incredible,  
You know what I mean,  
When I say 'it just clicks'  
And my energy gleans.  
The pace is great,  
The sound is sweet,  
My heart's a flutter,  
And so are my feet.  
I see myself now,  
Up on that familiar stage,  
Dancing to this song,  
Turning a new beat page. 


	8. That beat was mine

I was right,  
That beat was mine  
Each step fell  
In perfect time  
My feet were alive,  
My soul, it flew  
My heart was captured,  
I knew what to do.  
I danced my soul out,  
I felt each step  
Fall into place  
As my rhythm kept.  
Why I didn't see it  
Now I know,  
The song close to it,  
Didn't meet my status quo  
Have you never been mellow,  
The original beat,  
Was way too slow  
For my impatient feet.  
But this one, it's faster,  
It's just my speed,  
It's the new beat and flavor,  
That I did need.  
My heart still flies,  
At the memorized beat,  
And I await my next chance,  
To set to it with my feet,  
Again. 


	9. My skin feels like ice

Sweat fills my eyes  
As I gasp for more breath  
Sometimes I think,  
Do I wish for my death?  
I stand in the path  
Of the fan's chill air,  
As dampness drips  
From my face and my hair.  
My skin feels like ice  
As my sweat meets the breeze  
Of the fan set on high,  
My skin seems to freeze.  
I change coins for tokens  
As my skin slowly dries,  
I step up again,  
And my fatigue soon dies.  
Drop out killed me,  
I had not a chance.  
That was a song,  
I'd need experience to dance.  
Today was an interesting one,  
I made a new friend.  
A maniac player named Chris  
Urged me for the tough end.  
I danced to maniac level,  
On songs I never thought to,  
Finally someone,  
I don't look so far up to.  
The other maniacs I've seen,  
They're kind of cold.  
They're language and self-stature  
Gets really old.  
I have higher goals,  
And can't wait to dance,  
And enter again,  
A higher level of trance. 


	10. Sunday noon

(A/N: woohoo! My 10th entry! Thanks to all my steady readers, I appreciate  
your appreciation! This is a two-part thing, I wrote one snippet, then got  
to play and wrote the rest. Enjoy!)  
........  
Every sign that I read,  
My mind finds a match  
A DDR song,  
A lyric I'll catch.  
A poster did ask me,  
Are you ready? It read,  
Reminded me, in The Race,  
The same words were said.  
......  
Sunday noon, I got my chance,  
To get to the arcade.  
But I would only poorly dance,  
This plan was poorly made.  
Every game was fired up,  
The noise just drowned it out.  
I couldn't hear the music's clip,  
I still played, I didn't pout.  
Three songs in, and I was out,  
Another game totaled two,  
This losing streak, it wasn't right,  
I wasn't sure what to do.  
After yet two more games suite,  
That totaled together a five,  
My coming here just seemed moot,  
I was losing my beat and my drive.  
My tokens were finished, so was I,  
There just wasn't any point,  
I lost all wish to play again,  
Even though I had more coin.  
I trudged out of the 'cade again,  
Defeated, but not destroyed,  
I'd come again, my victory claim,  
And close my scoreless void.  
(A/N: any of my readers here who read my other stuff, I still need more  
votes on the bet results in when the N64 is off. My friends who I show it  
to keep tying the score. Some say draw, some say link should lose, because  
he's the hero and always wins, please help me out! ^_^) 


	11. Replaced

A/N: I've officially added .hack// to my list of current obsessions, (where DDR consistently stands at #1) I've almost beaten //infection, and I've memorized //liminality 1. While listening endlessly to the awesome theme song lyrics, (edge, twilight sea, and obsession) and contemplating the soon- to-be replacement of 4th mix plus for DDR extreme, I thought this up. it's sort of a parody of obsession from .hack, I tinkered with the words, applying my DDR experience to make this. if you know the song, (or have a DVD you can play along with this) it's all the better.  
  
I've played DDR extreme before, and from what I saw, (not a whole lot, there was a big line) I like 4th plus better. It's got major sentimental value, I learned from the start on that machine. All my first favorite songs I practiced on are there; butterfly, boys, orion 78... I'll get used to it, I know, and it still has some of my faves, but, it won't be quite the same. Oh, well, I have to learn to move on, I found two more 4th plus machines near my town if I absolutely need them, and you probably want to get on with this and the rest of your day/night/whatever!  
  
How come it must go  
  
And be replaced by the new extreme?  
  
How come it must go  
  
To a new, unknown arcade?  
  
Here in the mall,  
  
I hear the call,  
  
Of my old standbys  
  
But now I know,  
  
It's soon to go,  
  
My heart quietly cries  
  
How come it must go  
  
To a new, unknown arcade?  
  
Here in the mall,  
  
I hear the call,  
  
Of my old standbys  
  
But now I know,  
  
It's soon to go,  
  
My heart quietly cries  
  
How come it must go  
  
And be replaced by the new extreme?  
  
How come must it go  
  
I will miss it much, far too much.  
  
How come it must go  
  
And be replaced by the new extreme?  
  
How come it must go  
  
To a new, unknown arcade?  
  
A/N: Amy & Jenna, thanx for reading my stuff. And just so you know, I'm not going to lead a petition or anything, ( :D as if I actually would) I really will miss the old stuff, though. Lol. I need to get a shirt or something as a joke for my friend cassie, (Amy, you met her) that says 'don't fear the revolution' or something to that effect. I've tried to get her to play, but she gives me the 'terrible coordination' bit over and over again. Oh, well, one of these days, I'll convince her. 


	12. Waiting for my godsend

(A/N: Amy/Jenna, if you're still reading this, which I hope you are, I got cassie to play! She was laughing the whole time, and plans on playing again! ^_^)  
  
Oh my god, an SAT,  
  
Way to warn me, mom.  
  
She gave me three days' prior heads-up,  
  
I thought that was dumb.  
  
I wanted bad to play my fill,  
  
She said 'maybe you can.  
  
We won't be far from the arcade,  
  
Afterwards, we'll see, understand?'  
  
My god, SATs are boring,  
  
They waste hours of the day.  
  
I spent the minutes in-between  
  
Sections wishing to play.  
  
It kept me going, I focused, and finished,  
  
Seeing my reward at the end.  
  
Section after section, I did my part,  
  
Waiting for my godsend.  
  
After the test, I sat in the car,  
  
Waiting to reach the mall.  
  
I fairly skipped into the place,  
  
Hearing that familiar call.  
  
I had to wait for some newbies to quit,  
  
But that was perfectly fine.  
  
I'd get my dues in just due time,  
  
Patience is a strength of mine.  
  
I stepped up on the dancing stage,  
  
As the announcer welcomed me in,  
  
I spoke briefly with who was working today,  
  
And I chose my song to begin.  
  
Wild rush, my wake-up call,  
  
On trick I stand today,  
  
It weaves me into my rhythmic pace,  
  
And sends me on my way.  
  
It goes from slow to pounding fast,  
  
My heart skips again and again  
  
As the pace speeds up gradually,  
  
And prepares me for the second in.  
  
That song is always where I start,  
  
Two through four are nice,  
  
But number five is always my  
  
Aggressive, daring choice.  
  
Super star on maniac,  
  
Thanks for the urging, Chris.  
  
It inspires me to go further up,  
  
And further beyond this.  
  
It's actually not that hard for me,  
  
I don't really get why,  
  
When I was told it was the harder,  
  
Of maniacs players try.  
  
I slip in coins for one more game,  
  
I get too daring and fail,  
  
Starting out with B4U  
  
On maniac, my feet trail.  
  
I start again, and choose my limits,  
  
And play again to full.  
  
My heart's a-soaring, I crank up the fan,  
  
And give in to the pull.  
  
Eventually, I sate my passion,  
  
But only for today.  
  
I gulp water and air and take my steps,  
  
As I go forth on my way. 


	13. 1337 limerick and I can't stay on top

Here's a l33t limerick from NeoMegaMan. It's the least I can do in return for your great reviews, man! ^_^  
  
.............  
  
/\/\y d4|\|ci|\|9 /\/\0\/35 4r3 73|-| r0xx0r  
  
bu7 my 574/\/\i|\|4 s7i11 d035 5uxx0r,  
  
i 7ry 4s i /\/\i9|-|7,  
  
y37 57i11 3\/3ry |\|i9|-|7  
  
5335 /\/\3 1yi|\|9, p00p3d 0u7, 0|\| 73|-| f100r  
  
...  
  
My dancing skills are the roxxor,  
  
But my stamina still does suxxor,  
  
I try as I might,  
  
Yet still every night,  
  
Sees me lying, passed out, on the floor.  
  
....................  
  
I like it. And now, my standard stuff  
  
........  
  
I came victorious,  
  
Saturday noon,  
  
The noise did not defeat me.  
  
I focused hard,  
  
And joined the song,  
  
And let the notes flow through me.  
  
I met another player,  
  
Less experienced than norm,  
  
It was a refreshing sight to see.  
  
After the maniacs  
  
Who seem to look down  
  
On lesser players like me.  
  
...............  
  
Sunday noon, I come again  
  
I've been to the arcade a lot.  
  
Within the past week or so,  
  
Five days, I've found my spot.  
  
My lungs cry out,  
  
My legs scream stop.  
  
I do what I can,  
  
But I can't stay on top.  
  
What is this crap?  
  
I can't find the beat?  
  
What is this phenomenon  
  
That makes me feel like dead meat?  
  
What the heck's going on?  
  
Last time was fine.  
  
But now, I'm denied  
  
That rhythm of mine.  
  
My feet feel heavy,  
  
The fan's chill's too much,  
  
A stitch in my side,  
  
As my tired muscles crunch.  
  
My sweat feels like ice,  
  
My muscles, like fire,  
  
My body, a dead weight,  
  
My situation, dire.  
  
Evan asks me if I'm okay,  
  
I apparently don't look well.  
  
I say that I'm doing fine,  
  
But even I couldn't tell.  
  
The next thing I know,  
  
I gasp and I drag,  
  
My feet feel like lead,  
  
My breath feels real ragged.  
  
The next place I go,  
  
The water fountain spot.  
  
I drink and I drink,  
  
I drink a whole lot.  
  
Finally, I'm better,  
  
Got my breath back,  
  
Rehydrated my body,  
  
And examine my stack.  
  
Oh, what a bummer,  
  
Token reserves are low.  
  
I've hit a quandary,  
  
Between this and lunch, though.  
  
I cave and I spend,  
  
My tokens are replenished,  
  
I figure I can wait for food,  
  
I won't soon be famished.  
  
My game gets better  
  
As I ease myself in,  
  
I regain my fire  
  
And start adding spins.  
  
Some freestyle here,  
  
A little more there,  
  
Keeps the game interesting,  
  
How much do I dare?  
  
I stick to some basics yet,  
  
No knee drops - they hurt!  
  
Nothing real fancy,  
  
Moves simple and curt.  
  
All in all, it was fun,  
  
Even if I ran out of money.  
  
I got a grip back on my game,  
  
And had time that was fun and funny.  
  
(But man, if you're reading,  
  
You know where you're at,  
  
You're a twisted fellow,  
  
Do you purposefully do that?)  
  
........  
  
(A/N: the last line is NOT directed towards any of my known readers, but to a guy I know from the arcade) 


	14. I got my friends to play

(A/N: I understand that it may seem that the first part takes place a few days before the second. They both take place on the same day.)  
  
What a day,  
  
Hip hooray,  
  
I got my friends to play  
  
It didn't take  
  
Much at stake  
  
To convince Brian that day  
  
He's a natural  
  
He had a ball  
  
And in two hours' play  
  
He took the floor  
  
From one foot to four  
  
And is well on his way.  
  
...  
  
It's Wednesday now, technically,  
  
I'm not supposed to play.  
  
Grounded for not doing chores,  
  
But I ended up there anyway.  
  
Got grounded for another week,  
  
But really, I don't care.  
  
Because in that process,  
  
Another addict was made there.  
  
He took to the stage like a champ,  
  
And did his best to win  
  
Even with a rocky start,  
  
He kept up and in  
  
Not discouraged by the blue,  
  
He strived more for the red,  
  
And from one, to two, to three,  
  
By his progress, I'm impressed.  
  
Cassie's good, she's not as thrilled,  
  
She plays a game or two,  
  
(I think she likes it better  
  
When Brian's playing, too.)  
  
;)  
  
It's pretty cool to watch him,  
  
He can lose, but he'll bounce back.  
  
Undeterred by failure,  
  
He better picks his attack.  
  
I, myself, am learning,  
  
By teaching them to play.  
  
I never before quite understood  
  
The concepts to convey.  
  
Through victory and loss,  
  
I know he'll keep it up,  
  
The kung fu warrior he is  
  
Won't quit, he's too tough. 


	15. Step chart and number three

I print out a step chart  
  
To practice at home  
  
To feel out the song  
  
My skills to hone  
  
But I just can't get it  
  
For why no one knows  
  
But I think it's for this  
  
I can't feel the arrows  
  
My feet feel lost  
  
My rhythm's weak  
  
Without a platform  
  
For my toes to seek  
  
The songs in my head  
  
The notes are internal  
  
But without the dancing stage,  
  
My steps are all infernal  
  
My legs need a rest  
  
I played for two hours  
  
Straight last Wednesday  
  
With the small group of ours  
  
But for now, we're few.  
  
We only number three.  
  
For all of our coaxing  
  
It's just Brian, Cassie, and me.  
  
Tommy's in progress,  
  
Twice he's excused  
  
Himself from the game,  
  
I'll be amused  
  
To see him and Brian  
  
Dance side by side  
  
One day with some practice  
  
They could go on quite a ride.  
  
They partner well in demos,  
  
Of kung fu grace and speed,  
  
Together on the dancing stage,  
  
They could really take the lead.  
  
I have personal predictions,  
  
Of where Brian'll be.  
  
I say he'll be at steady trick,  
  
In four months tops or three.  
  
He has a dedication,  
  
Love for the dance I haven't seen  
  
He'll lose and have fun anyway,  
  
He doesn't lose his steam.  
  
He takes it slow on most songs,  
  
But gets real bold with me.  
  
Since he knows I can clear those,  
  
He goes to songs well beyond foot 3.  
  
One time, of his own accord,  
  
Senorita virtual was his choice.  
  
My skepticism was clear,  
  
Why not the other senorita? I voiced.  
  
No, he told me, it's too slow  
  
I like the speed of this.  
  
I shrugged and said, okay,  
  
I know I can pass it.  
  
The song left him in its bold dust  
  
While I kept step for step.  
  
He ended catching his breath,  
  
While I was feeling prepped.  
  
.....  
  
In parting,  
  
May I say this pick,  
  
Evan came with strep throat,  
  
And got two of us sick.  
  
Evan, if Amy's sick as well,  
  
Boy are you in for it,  
  
My brother wants a piece of you (:D)  
  
Since from me, from you, he got it. 


	16. Fragments

A/N: meh, I haven't had a steady flow of inspiration lately, so I only have a few fragments. Yeah, I just posted chapter 15, but I forgot I hadn't put that up yet. Still, here's what I have:  
  
............................  
  
I beat the rhythm  
  
& police so bad  
  
After my practice  
  
It was hard just a tad  
  
The arcade fills with suspicious punks  
  
I help Amy kept an eye  
  
On them as they wander  
  
Around the others and i.  
  
...............................  
  
While on my comp  
  
Playing my MP3s  
  
Shock of all shocks,  
  
Could it possibly be?  
  
A song that I loved,  
  
Sent my soul alight,  
  
Now has no effect  
  
I'm denied my inner flight.  
  
Shooting star,  
  
My heart flew like one  
  
While listening to it  
  
Before, but now, none.  
  
I withdraw inside,  
  
I crave that feeling  
  
That sent my heart  
  
So ever reeling.  
  
That was the one,  
  
That all but burst me,  
  
But now it is nothing,  
  
It doesn't even faze me.  
  
----------------------------  
  
Tragedy of tragedies,  
  
Just how can this be?  
  
A silent black screen  
  
Stands here before me.  
  
The song does not sound,  
  
The speakers don't sing,  
  
The arrows don't fly...  
  
Just what is this thing?  
  
Unplugged, you say, Amy?  
  
Something wrong with the disk?  
  
No timeframe to speak of,  
  
Until we get a fix?  
  
--------------------  
  
A/N2: wah! A true tragedy! They finally get the upgrade put together, and something's wrong with a data disk, so it won't play. T_T boo hoo big time. it looks so depressing, all dark and in a new corner, no music, no lights, no energy, just, a lifeless hunk of machinery. Amy has no idea when it'll get fixed. T_T I just hope it's going by next week, I'm going to be so depressed if it takes much longer.  
  
As for the punks in fragment 1, if you're wondering, they were companions to known shoplifters, and rather shady regardless. No trouble, they finally left. But I was on high alert and ready to kick some major butt if necessary, they were like that. 


	17. Fragments 2

Live the revolution,  
  
Rock the world with your beat  
  
Let the rhythm flow through you  
  
And through your flying feet.  
  
l1v3 t3h r3v0lu710n  
  
:D  
  
Hope my poetic moment says enough.  
  
From one DDRevolutionary to another,  
  
rhy7hm & p34c3, m4n  
  
--------------------  
  
I'm cold, and have  
  
My common solution  
  
Come to mind,  
  
The revolution  
  
Alas for me,  
  
It's not to be,  
  
I have a rhythmic incarceration.  
  
As of yet,  
  
I haven't heard  
  
A word at all from Amy  
  
I hope to god  
  
That come next week,  
  
The game will sound and greet me  
  
Otherwise  
  
I don't know what  
  
I'll do, I'll go mad  
  
If I don't  
  
Get my fix  
  
Things could get bad.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Wrote my own lyrics to hero, happy grandale mix. Lyrics only slightly reflect my personal feelings to a single event. I am a well-balanced, secure individual. (Yes, I know, some may argue, but what the heck?)  
  
Oh-ah-ha-oh-ho  
  
I need a hero  
  
Oh-ah-ha-oh-ho  
  
Ai-ya-ha  
  
Oh-ah-ha-oh-ho  
  
I need a hero  
  
Oh-ah-ha-oh-ho  
  
A hero  
  
In the middle of the night  
  
I find myself up restless  
  
Help me now  
  
I cry into the dark  
  
Then I feel  
  
A presence coming near me  
  
To save me, to rescue me  
  
Oh please my hero I ask him  
  
Will you please carry me away?  
  
Out of this nightmare so that i  
  
Can sleep tonight, peacefully  
  
Oh my hero,  
  
You saved me  
  
From my chaotic dreams  
  
And gave calm rest to me  
  
Oh my hero  
  
Watch o'er me  
  
Chase my nightmares away  
  
And wait for the next day  
  
Ah-ha-oh-ah-ha  
  
I love you, hero  
  
Ah-ha-oh-ah-ha  
  
Ah-ah-ah  
  
Ah-ha-oh-ah-ha  
  
Oh, thank you hero  
  
Ah-ha-oh-ah-ha  
  
Oh my hero,  
  
You saved me  
  
Oh my hero  
  
Watch o'er me  
  
--------------------------- (That's still poetry, right? ^_^ whatever. ) -------------------------------  
  
Tomorrow's the day  
  
I hope I can play,  
  
That machine had better be going.  
  
It's been thirteen days,  
  
And I've yet had no plays,  
  
I can feel my withdrawal coming.  
  
Konamix will do,  
  
In a pinch, it'll do,  
  
But my pad sucks, it disappoints.  
  
No matter what, no,  
  
I just can't flow,  
  
As it scrunches the way my toe points 


	18. Wednesday in the arcade

Wednesday in the mall arcade  
  
It's empty but for me  
  
Along with my friend Cassie  
  
And working today is Amy  
  
I hardly dare to wish it's up  
  
My ears strain to hear the sound  
  
I see no tape around...  
  
I try hard not to bound  
  
My heart leaps at the welcome sight  
  
The screen is lit and calling me.  
  
My heart is calm and eagerly  
  
Awaiting a new ecstasy  
  
Brian's on a few day's trip,  
  
He isn't here along,  
  
He wont yet hear these songs,  
  
It seems a little wrong.  
  
We slip three tokens each into  
  
The new version of the game  
  
True it wont be the same,  
  
But we don't toss 'round blame.  
  
We'll find newer songs to like,  
  
With it we will cope,  
  
We wont stick around and mope,  
  
For a few familiar ones we hope.  
  
We find a few that we recall,  
  
Some good ones from konamix,  
  
Some from some other mix,  
  
Some that in old memory sticks.  
  
I stay consistent in my dance,  
  
I handle an average of B  
  
A few As do I see,  
  
While my body threatens to fail me.  
  
Such sweet pain I endure in this,  
  
It kills me yet entices  
  
Me to keep to its devices  
  
And take my suffering slices  
  
I grasp the machine in pain,  
  
I feel so out of breath.  
  
I feel as if in death,  
  
From the torment it bequeaths  
  
Regardless of my searing lungs,  
  
And burning, aching legs,  
  
I pull up the last dregs  
  
Of my energy as my soul begs  
  
For more.  
  
Somehow I pull through four games,  
  
But that's all I can take.  
  
Any more and I won't make  
  
It, this new set's no piece of cake.  
  
I feel about to drop dead here  
  
In need of water and rest.  
  
My heart pounds in my chest  
  
After giving it all my best.  
  
A new chapter has begun,  
  
Our arcade goes from 4+ to extreme,  
  
It feels almost a dream,  
  
It's not as bad as it seemed.  
  
After all that, it's finally done,  
  
4th mix has been replaced.  
  
As sad as I am to see it gone,  
  
These changes must be faced.  
  
Extreme is a new event,  
  
Something fresh to try  
  
Though to me it may not seem heaven-sent,  
  
Over this, I wont just lay and die.  
  
I'll move along with this new change,  
  
It's not the end of me.  
  
If any, it just broadens the range  
  
Of songs that spark my ecstasy. 


	19. Black Friday

The gravity  
  
Of DDR  
  
Pulls me to  
  
The ar-ar-ar  
  
'Cade,  
  
The place where i  
  
Get my fix  
  
Or continually try.  
  
The pull  
  
I can't resist,  
  
Sorely painful  
  
If it's missed  
  
It draws me in  
  
Lures me to play  
  
It won't take much  
  
On any day.  
  
It's black Friday,  
  
And guess where  
  
I happen to be today?  
  
Inside here of all places  
  
The mall it is,  
  
And I'm driving forth to play.  
  
The arcade's empty when I come,  
  
Except for Amy and another,  
  
I can't wait to get my feet  
  
On that machine... oh, brother.  
  
Five regulars stand in my way,  
  
A rather crazy bunch.  
  
They're all good guys at heart,  
  
Might I wait to play 'til lunch?  
  
Not a chance, my token takes its place,  
  
Amongst the others in the line.  
  
A guy asks me to play alongside  
  
Him, and I say that's fine  
  
That way, there's less between  
  
Myself and that desired pad,  
  
And this guy, he's pretty good,  
  
The songs he picks are tough, but not bad.  
  
After cycling through the chain,  
  
And playing games as a pair,  
  
His family shows up outside,  
  
And he has to go there.  
  
I continue on my own,  
  
Pairing with some more,  
  
Taking myself out for a breather,  
  
And my emptying bag begging for more  
  
Tokens.  
  
I run out of cash,  
  
Decide to call quits.  
  
My budget can't handle  
  
Much more of this.  
  
One more game,  
  
All on my own,  
  
I brace for each song,  
  
Some notes hit like stones.  
  
I have deep respect  
  
For songs that challenge me,  
  
The beat that entices me,  
  
The steps that elude me  
  
I run short of breath  
  
As the regs cheer me on  
  
Just a few steps away  
  
From victory gained or far gone.  
  
I pant my way through,  
  
I dare hold my breath.  
  
I grasp to that thread of victory,  
  
That lifebar that means life or death  
  
The song comes to close,  
  
I get a round congrats,  
  
I'm the junior of the heavy players,  
  
I'm glad that I passed.  
  
I look at a song  
  
That entices me fore,  
  
A new healing vision  
  
I've never seen before  
  
I loved the first one  
  
On konamix's set,  
  
This one is faster,  
  
It's my last song, you bet  
  
I'll try it, no loss in that,  
  
Daring, I knock it up to green.  
  
I get cheers from my friends,  
  
As I start up the screen.  
  
It has a hospital theme,  
  
And soon I feel I need one  
  
As within the first few seconds,  
  
I'm a few steps from done.  
  
But I hang in there,  
  
It gets harder and harder  
  
To keep that speed,  
  
But my perseverance holds longer  
  
The song comes to close,  
  
I feel about to faint,  
  
As I gasp for my breath,  
  
And I feel like some saint.  
  
That challenge was enlightening,  
  
So painfully divine,  
  
I have to go back to it,  
  
Not yet, but sometime.  
  
I take my token  
  
Out of the lineup,  
  
I have to recover,  
  
Before any more times up.  
  
I decide to recoup  
  
In the bookstore for now,  
  
Still to this day,  
  
I don't know quite how  
  
I walked from the one end  
  
Of the mall to the other,  
  
But I'm not complaining,  
  
I won't even bother.  
  
Just get from today,  
  
Just get back your vitals,  
  
I tell myself,  
  
'Cause you've gotta do finals!  
  
--------------------------------- 


	20. NeoMegaMan guest shot

Another guest shot by NeoMegaMan. Any others are welcome, readers! ^_^  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Dancing all Alone (My Mix)  
  
Dancing all alone, singing da dee do.  
  
Dancing all alone, singing da dee do.  
  
No girls' numbers on my phone,  
  
Address book is empty, I can't send a letter.  
  
Maybe I should not try anymore,  
  
Knowing me, I'll be a bachelor forever...  
  
Dancing all alone, in my empty home,  
  
Listening to the music from My DDR,  
  
Dancing all alone, singing da dee do,  
  
Practicing my lines, try to be Romeo...  
  
O-o-ee-o-ee-o-ee-o-ee-o  
  
When I get lonely, I just dance alone,  
  
O-o-ee-o-ee-o-ee-o-ee-o  
  
DDR music coming from my home. 


	21. Plantar problems

AN: wow, over 20 now. Amazing. I'm loving every word I put up for this, and I'm glad that those who read them like them, too. Nothing but positive reviews, that really makes me feel good about my abilities. Thank you all so much, especially NeoMegaMan for being a consistent reviewer and contributor, and Cassie and Brian, for your input also, as well as giving me some stuff to write about. ;) I can't leave out Amy and the others at fun & games arcade, and Evan, dude, I forgive you for the strep thing... kinda. Thank you, gracias, arigato, hsieh hsieh, (I hope I got that right) and so on. The world's a stage, fellow Dance Dance Revolutionaries, let's bring the heat!  
  
My morning's in agony,  
  
As I have to go walk  
  
From class into class,  
  
Trying not to balk  
  
I wince with each step,  
  
Plantar warts are so cruel,  
  
Will I be able to go on?  
  
This is poorly uncool.  
  
Today is a Wednesday,  
  
What terrible concept  
  
Could I play DDR  
  
When I'm pained by each step?  
  
Could I miss a day  
  
Of that wonderful game?  
  
Could I wait one more week?  
  
What if the next time's the same?  
  
My feet are more sensitive,  
  
Just now, I barely stand  
  
They throb and they burn  
  
Feeling ground as if by sand.  
  
- - - - - - - -  
  
here I go, now into the 'cade,  
  
I must be out of my mind!  
  
I tighten my laces, count out my change,  
  
All while my foot's in a bind!  
  
i gently step up, using mainly my toes,  
  
I'll just be careful of my two heels.  
  
'cause I know just all too well  
  
just how direct impact feels.  
  
I take down my difficulty a notch,  
  
This wont too much wrest.  
  
Yawn, this song is good, but boring,  
  
This is no good, not even a test.  
  
I notch it back up, this is ridiculous,  
  
And brace myself yet again.  
  
I fall easily into cautious step,  
  
And make it without pain.  
  
Brian's back in town today,  
  
I play some rounds with him.  
  
Most all his favorite songs are gone,  
  
But it's not completely grim.  
  
Today he has to leave a bit early,  
  
And so do cassie and i.  
  
They both feel so tired,  
  
I don't , but my feet could die. 


	22. God rest ye merry maniacs

(A/N: what do you think of my chapter title? ^_^ sadly, that line's not in the poem, but I could write a second one. I heard a parody of the original song on the radio that cracked em up, so I got on that kick and wrote this on it! enjoy! If you want to find the lyrics to the one I heard, pull up google and enter 'two nuns three old ladies and a nurse'. That should do it. ^_^ )  
  
The dance dance revolution is my all time favorite game  
  
If called all that or DDR I'll know it all the same  
  
It's been one year since I looked it up and in the arcade came  
  
I've been dancing for one year to the day  
  
Hip hooray  
  
I've turned maniac in one year to the day  
  
They changed the machine to extreme so far it's been okay  
  
It takes one token more to start and lose a song to play  
  
But I'll live with it it's alright, I'll live another day  
  
It costs more to play but I am fine  
  
Not outta line  
  
It's the greatest deal in town so it's fine.  
  
The other 'cades all charge a buck to play it's all insane.  
  
They're more concerned with making dough than reg's financial pain.  
  
In the long run it's annoying, true, but needs are plain.  
  
We'll all sacrifice to play this game.  
  
'cause our need is plain  
  
We'll all shell out more cash to play this game.  
  
(A/N2: sadly, I am leaving this Friday for Texas to visit family, and I wont be back until new year's. but I'll make up for it, I'll bring home a lot of poetry, I promise. Heheh, I get to see the man who made all this possible, my cousin who showed me DDR for the first time. :D he royally kicked my butt last year, but I'm back with S|i11z! ^_^ 


	23. Locked away

From the rhythm, I am locked away,  
  
I couldn't feel the beat today.  
  
I'm a prisoner in my yearning mind  
  
That heavenly groove I couldn't find.  
  
My feet were sluggish, my lungs inept  
  
My flow once free in check was kept.  
  
I'm stuck again in sad transition  
  
All DDRers know that position  
  
Some are too simple, others, too rough  
  
Finding a good in-betweener is tough.  
  
I am one fickle dancer, only some songs are my speed.  
  
Only fast songs have the groove I need.  
  
Too slow, and I'm bored, but too much and I'm gone,  
  
I wish more from MAX2 had carried on.  
  
I ache for that feeling to course through my veins,  
  
to throw off the harness and reins  
  
of my soul.  
  
I want to fly, but it isn't enough,  
  
Finding something just right is tough.  
  
I feel like I'm drifting away from that flight,  
  
To get some of that feeling, I so have to fight.  
  
My heart hasn't soared in such a long time,  
  
Am I losing that connection? Even my rhyme?  
  
I don't want to leave it, I want it to stay.  
  
Right now it's just not connecting this way.  
  
Maybe it's just 'cause I waited too long.  
  
Yeah, I've been away from the step and the song  
  
For a while to date, just had no time.  
  
Maybe if I make it up, I can fix my rhyme.  
  
I just gotta save it, it's my rejuvenation  
  
To have an out of body experience while playing the revolution.  
  
I feel so relieved, so energized, so full,  
  
Even if I collapse out of breath like a fool.  
  
Aren't we all...?  
  
The satisfaction is little, the soaring's been none.  
  
Even after my favorites are done.  
  
I fear losing my rhythm, I feel losing the knack.  
  
I can only hope that I can get it back. 


	24. NMM's freelance guest shot

Here is a random blurb in free verse from NeoMegaMan, my consistent co- writer. :D Happy late b-day, man, mine was two days before yours. :D:D:D  
  
The efforts of a DDR religionite.  
  
Extreme's claim to fame, although quite bizarre,  
  
Is having the biggest selection of songs, by far.  
  
Everything my heart could desire,  
  
Light up my life, collapse my lungs, and paralyze my legs.  
  
My heart is on fire, but I dance through the pain,  
  
Even being sick won't keep me down, my voice is but a scratch compared to the bass,  
  
I could yell and scream until blue in the face, but rather than that, I let my feet do the  
  
talking. From 'Twinbee' to 'Senorita(speedy mix)' I dance without care,  
  
gasping for air, hardly living, there on pad I dance to forget, and to celebrate.  
  
Today is my birthday, Sunday the 15th, and my gift to myself, other than Metroid: Zero  
  
Mission, was a day or two full of DDR. My buddy DeadandDying is helping me,  
  
Busting out his mad Basic skillz while I take it up a notch. We dance to "La Copa de la  
  
Vida" and "We will rock you" and are having much fun, but a challenge presents itself.  
  
I heard it first on the non-stop mix CD, the first song there,  
  
"We Are The Cartoon Heroes" goes wafting through the air,  
  
DD plays it safe, but I can't stop myself. I go Standard mode, thinking "It's only 7 feet"  
  
Nothing could have prepared me for the destruction that was Cartoon Heroes.  
  
Twice over the weekend I tried, valiantly to live, but in the end, I died.  
  
Not to be discouraged, I took on a trio of fierce quality,  
  
R&P, and B4U had been calling me. DD had the last pick, much to my surprise,  
  
I couldn't help but laugh as AFRONOVA flashed before my eyes. I stayed on trick,  
  
I did my best, and fought back hard, no air in my chest. Six times did I breathe,  
  
Throughout that song, and at the end, fell over, and sat on DD's foot.  
  
The crowd laughed a bit, and I passed with a B, an overall grade of an "A" awaited me.  
  
Tsugaru thumped, NoriNori jumped, and My Summer Love on heavy, 2x,  
  
was survived with a D, though 16th note runs still do run over me.  
  
I hang up the step slammers, my big day is through, but Cartoon Heroes I swear...  
  
I WILL BEAT YOU!!!! 


	25. Heavy at home

Heavy at home  
  
I dance all alone  
  
My money is all spent  
  
On a metal pad,  
  
I'm broke, it's too bad,  
  
Good thing I don't have rent.  
  
The last of my cash,  
  
The bottom of my stash,  
  
Was poured into buying this thing  
  
This metal dance pad,  
  
From redoctane, it's rad,  
  
It wont budge on the floor, so I sing  
  
No more floor scrunching,  
  
No more pad bunching,  
  
The disappointment is finite  
  
While here at home,  
  
I can dance all alone,  
  
For free, and all I want tonight  
  
I got a good deal,  
  
How my heart did reel,  
  
That day at megacon  
  
When I found it in place,  
  
No S&H to face,  
  
And a free T-shirt tacked on.  
  
So happily I toted,  
  
That heavy box, I noted,  
  
Out to the lot and my car  
  
And took it home, anxious,  
  
My new baby, my precious,  
  
That would take my dancing far.  
  
That night, I got home,  
  
I unpackaged it some,  
  
Pulled it out on my floor,  
  
The pad was so great,  
  
I told my bro, nate,  
  
As I pulled out padding more and more.  
  
That night it sat by my bed,  
  
I smiled as I rested my head,  
  
Tomorrow I would dance.  
  
I woke and started up my game,  
  
My dance would never be the same,  
  
I could practice more with this chance.  
  
It had its quirks, I did see,  
  
But I wouldn't let it deter me  
  
From claiming my victory dance.  
  
For now I could play well at home,  
  
My scores and skills I could freely hone,  
  
At no cost to myself.  
  
And what about the fifteen buck  
  
Pad? Which I almost chucked?  
  
It's my emergency spare, up on a shelf. 


	26. NMM whee

Whee!! More stuff for AJ's Poetry fic! This silly little idea just hit me as I was listening  
  
to Love Shine. Hope you like it! ________________________________________________________________________  
  
A Dance Dance Revolutionaries Catch-22 (AKA Darned if you do....)  
  
Fate is a cruel mistress, this I know, and it can Make it Real.  
  
Love could come along at any time, but a great Big-O!  
  
Love has Broken My Heart!  
  
How many painful times have I heard my beloved D2R scoffed at, or shrugged!  
  
My mind says "Gimme Gimme Gimme" for more DDR, but my heart calls out to the  
  
God of Romance, for aid in finding My Summer Love!  
  
The Legend of Max has nothing on my heart in BPM, as I longingly search for my  
  
dancing Senorita!  
  
I may be Super Star in my own right, but my lonesome Cowgirl is out there, Dancing All  
  
Alone, waiting for me, thinking "Make your Move, come and Turn Me on..."  
  
I have been searching for her, my most delicate Butterfly, thinking, "Yes you will find  
  
me, and I'm your Samurai."  
  
I want her to hear me say "I will B4U, and never Break Down! Whether you are 17, or  
  
thirty, I Can't Stop Fallin' in Love with you!"  
  
"I will Dive Into Your Heart!" she would say, "And our Love Shine will glow like a  
  
Cat's Eye! So grab your Boys, I'm In The Mood For Dancing!"  
  
Alas, most females my age either view DDR as a sport for geeks, or just too hard to learn,  
  
so for now, I remain, Dancing All Alone, Burning The Floor up all by myself, and  
  
staying as Brilliant 2U as I can.  
  
Fate is cruel, but I will have my Re-Venge. ________________________________________________________________________  
  
Well!!! Wasn't THAT magical?! XD I must be outta my mind, but it should do good for  
  
a few giggles. Hope to see it up soon. Laterz! 


	27. Christmas trip 1: Arrival

(A/N: without other poems to write, I finally have the time and focus to complete this segment. Here we go)  
  
Crammed in the backseat,  
  
My kid brother beside,  
  
The only thing that keeps me sane,  
  
Is the anticipation of my next ride.  
  
Just one more cramped day,  
  
And I'll be so there,  
  
I'll match up against  
  
My cousin, oh, how I dare  
  
To match up against him,  
  
A year's long enough  
  
For me to have gone  
  
From newbie to tough.  
  
I'm here in Texas  
  
The day will soon come  
  
When I challenge my cousin  
  
To a song or some.  
  
He was playing it last year  
  
I saw and loved the game  
  
From that day on forward  
  
My life wasn't the same.  
  
Now, here I am,  
  
Waiting for the chance,  
  
To take up rhythm  
  
Against my cousin to a dance.  
  
My one year anniversary  
  
Of playing the game,  
  
Is in a few days,  
  
It doesn't feel the same  
  
As it did that one day,  
  
I remember it well,  
  
I was so shy,  
  
Watching him in awe unequal.  
  
He convinced me to try,  
  
I saw nothing wrong.  
  
I got up beside him  
  
To an easy enough song.  
  
I kept it basic,  
  
He cranked it up.  
  
He danced to secret rendezvous  
  
And showed me right up.  
  
From then on, I loved it,  
  
I couldn't get enough.  
  
On the way to uncle tom's.  
  
My mind was playing back his tough  
  
Steps.  
  
I returned home,  
  
Saved my bucks,  
  
And bought a cheap pad,  
  
And DDR konamix.  
  
It did me good,  
  
Though not too well,  
  
It moved and it slid,  
  
Cheaply made, I could tell.  
  
But I shortly complained,  
  
I had the game.  
  
With that and in the arcade,  
  
My life wasn't the same.  
  
Now I eagerly await  
  
The proper dance round 2  
  
With my dancing sensei cousin,  
  
Jason, I've got a surprise for you. 


	28. Christmas trip 2: Waiting

(A/N: the first line has nothing to do with playing the game; my uncle has a three-story house. Try going up and down constantly for most of a week)  
  
My legs ache as I climb the stair  
  
How I wish a pad were there  
  
Underneath my feet  
  
But within days as of yet  
  
I still haven't even met  
  
Jason, who I wish to beat.  
  
I quell my fears of missing it,  
  
The challenge for which I've had to wait,  
  
So long, I promise me,  
  
That another day I'll get my chance,  
  
On this trip I will yet dance  
  
Against my cousin, I will see.  
  
So I wait another day,  
  
Biding my time with endless play  
  
Of final fantasy ten.  
  
To tell the truth I got far,  
  
But it got boring beating the tar  
  
Out of monsters again and again.  
  
Still I wait for days upon days,  
  
Finding new and other ways  
  
To entertain myself  
  
While waiting for my day to come,  
  
To play against my cousin in some  
  
DDR, and take my patience off the shelf. 


	29. Christmas trip 3: Disappointment

Got my hopes up and shot down  
  
The arcade's closed today.  
  
Got all dressed for the event,  
  
And here at tom's I stay.  
  
The challenge stays a tentative  
  
Event, I may not go.  
  
Jason's really busy now,  
  
My challenge may be a forced no.  
  
There's another arcade here,  
  
It's not all a loss.  
  
But I'm so sick of hit & miss,  
  
This stringalong coin toss.  
  
All I can do is sit and wait,  
  
This is driving me NUTS.  
  
The trip is drawing to a close,  
  
And I'm anxious to kick butt.  
  
I get all prepped for this arcade,  
  
My uncle jan'll take me  
  
But what's this? it's closed on Sundays?  
  
This is really driving me crazy  
  
My every detour's a dead end,  
  
I never seem to have a chance.  
  
All i want is to play a game  
  
Or two and simply dance.  
  
Renee has DDRMAX 1,  
  
If only she could find it.  
  
This is driving me insane,  
  
It is so the pits.  
  
Is somebody planning this?  
  
Am I being set up?  
  
How could this so possibly be  
  
Such a disappointment, so tough? 


	30. Christmas trip 4: In The Zone

Okay, Rei, I'm sorry, see,  
  
Says my uncle jan.  
  
Come with us to mini golf  
  
Before you pack the van  
  
On one of the last days of our trip,  
  
We headed to 'the zone'.  
  
For a game of mini-golf,  
  
And some time with jan alone.  
  
just when I start to lose hope  
  
my luck turns out at 3  
  
we got to the zone for mini-golf,  
  
and boy, what did I see?  
  
A DDR game, 5th mix,  
  
Pumped and ready to go.  
  
My heart leaps at the welcome sight,  
  
And my feet yearn so to flow.  
  
I bounce around unwillingly,  
  
And he asks me what is wrong.  
  
I point out the machine in there,  
  
And say I'll play just a song.  
  
(little does the poor man know,  
  
I just cant get enough)  
  
I play a starter round or two,  
  
And go to the harder stuff.  
  
' Mellow MM groovin mix  
  
on maniac I play.  
  
Hey, jan calls to me,  
  
Let's go play golf, he say.  
  
Reluctantly I step down off,  
  
I eye it as I grieve,  
  
Maybe I can squeeze another  
  
Game in 'fore we leave  
  
We set up for the first golf hole,  
  
We talk a little smack.  
  
We place a little mini bet,  
  
The loser gives the winner a buck.  
  
It was all a whirlwind game,  
  
And I won out in the end.  
  
We passed the game in leaving again,  
  
And my buck was quickly sent  
  
Into the token machine,  
  
"really, one more, I promise!"  
  
my uncle just laughs and caves,  
  
oh, I'm loving every bit of this.  
  
I find dancing all alone,  
  
Btw, it's 5th mix,  
  
I find some 4+ faves of mine,  
  
And pull a few freestyle kicks.  
  
I power up and beat it down,  
  
My audience, it grows.  
  
Newbies to the rhythm stare,  
  
And from jan I get a 'whooaaa.'  
  
At the end, my coins are spent,  
  
And I can hardly breathe.  
  
Jan asks me if I'm feeling okay,  
  
And holds a water bottle within my reach.  
  
I nod and grasp for it, but he  
  
Pulls it back away.  
  
"who's your favorite uncle?' he presses,  
  
he requires me to say.  
  
"you are...gimme the bottle" I pant,  
  
and inhale the contents quick.  
  
I regulate my vitals on the way  
  
Back before I have a fit.  
  
I go back to tom's a happy camper,  
  
I've played my satiate fill.  
  
The only thing left on my list  
  
To do is to beat Jason, still. 


	31. Christmas trip 5: Christmas surprise

(A/N: this time, my legs ache from DDR. It was Christmas Eve when Uncle Jan took me to play)  
  
Christmas morn, my legs, they ache,  
  
But happy, regardless, I am.  
  
I open a present, lo and behold,  
  
Isn't this a sham?  
  
DDRMAX2 is there, waiting in my hand,  
  
Looking oh so good to play.  
  
Luckily, Renee still has  
  
Her dance pads to this day.  
  
I barely sit still long enough,  
  
Before i'm in her room,  
  
Hooking up the PS2  
  
And getting ready to zoom.  
  
She joins in my happy game,  
  
She isn't all that bad.  
  
She hasn't had the practice  
  
That I have with only her pad.  
  
We play for veritable hours,  
  
Before he have to stop.  
  
We've danced and sweated and worn ourselves out,  
  
Until we feel we're gonna pop.  
  
The next day we are ready to go,  
  
My game is packed safe near me,  
  
I never got to play Jason,  
  
He was just too busy.  
  
Uncle beeper keeps the talk  
  
That he wants to come out east  
  
I have a schedule planned all out,  
  
If only they'd come out east.  
  
But when I see Jason again,  
  
That time I swear I won't miss  
  
The chance to dance against him,  
  
And we'll see who's better at this. 


	32. Big Territory

(A/N: Back in the game! Well, sort of. The entry is titled thusly in the idea that I would produce something that flowed somewhat like Daikenkai (Big Opinions.) Big territories... Yeeah. But this turned out okay, I think.)

Same old dancing work song.

Step on the stage and decide on

The direction to go today.

Forward is the final way,

But forward can be hard

When forward is so far.

Stuck on dancing level 8,

My progress has grown stagnate.

7-foot songs are all a breeze,

Most of 8s I pass with ease,

But 9s are bigger territory.

They pose the greatest challenge for me.

9 is a realm of great diversity,

Offering both victory and agony.

Got a 9-foot songlist now,

In my pocket to show

What I have and haven't passed.

2 scratched now, but that won't last.

One day I'll scratch them all,

But before victory must come a fall

Or two,

It's true.

But I always get up again.

The prone form has nothing to gain.

Triumph only comes to those who dance,

Who stare into failure's face and take that chance

To win all or lose it,

To grow pride or bruise it.

We all burn up with the fire within

Sometimes, in our drive to win.

Spectators' eyes only feed the flame

Inside that none are able to tame.

It scares away player would-bes,

But the dancing vets it feeds.

I'm still out of league with

The subjects of local dancing myth,

But I hold my own. In time,

The next level will be mine.


	33. Connecticut journal

(A/N: While on the road to Connecticut for my dad's godson's wedding, I planned to hit a few arcades up that way. You know, meet a few fellow DDR freaks outside the local population. Although it isn't dated, the events are in chronological order, taken from excerpts in my notebook, and basic memory. Posted a little later than I intended, due to connection trouble, but here it is.)

In preparation for our trip to Connecticut, I have researched arcades in the vicinity of our route. My mom is talking about sightseeing, and hey, I've tagged five arcades along in the directions she wants to go. I pack the list carefully, making sure I don't leave it behind. My dad thinks the idea is ridiculous. Yeah, well, so's his crazy plan to go lobster fishing. You wouldn't catch me anywhere near water up there. Nyah.

Two straight days of being mobile sardines in my dad's SUV, and we're in Mystic, Connecticut. It's pretty, but it's cold (hit mid-20s at night by the day of the wedding) and there's no DDR to speak of.

Luckily, there's a high-speed internet connection in the breakfast room of our hotel, and it's free for hotel guests. I keep checking for arcades. We've got two days until the wedding, and nothing to do. Maybe mom and I will go looking while my dad and brother head off to fish.

No lobster fishing, no far sightseeing. Mom and I memorize the layout of downtown Mystic on morning walks. Dad and Nathan are such late sleepers...

Day before the wedding. I talk with mom about an arcade I looked up in New London. She talks dad into it, and we head off. Dad's not very happy with it, as I don't have actual directions, only an address. We go to a mall we passed on our way up, but it isn't there. Luckily, a very helpful salesman in a jewelry store knows right where we need to go.

I jot down the directions and we head off again.

We find the arcade address. It's at this beachside amusement park-type deal. It's pretty much abandoned.Parents, especially dad, voice their skepticism, but we keep looking.

MBM fun center is in here somewhere...

We spot a surfacing sub offshore, and a SUNBATHER on the beach. The high today is low/mid 40s. And it's windy. Being very much a Florida native, I have a low tolerance for cold, and agree with mom in saying he's nuts.

I find MBM. As it's the off season, it doesn't open until 4:00 PM.

It's 1:43 PM now.

Crap.

After 'wasting our time' as dad effectively puts it, we go back to the hotel. I halfheartedly suggest another location, but I'm flatly denied by the man with the keys to the transportation.

The wedding goes fine. Bride lost her voice, but it's all good.

Back on the hotel computer, I look up arcades on our route home, in just about any state we're due to pass. I want so badly to play somewhere other than home!

In Virginia, I spot two arcades just off the interstate.

I jot them down and hope for the best.

The day after the wedding, we pack up and head home. Around noon we're in VA, and getting hungry. Maybe this could be my lucky chance...

I suggest we stop in Fredericksburg, as it's right along the way.

Dad isn't impressed, especially after he asks for an explanation why.

I give up. Fine, I'll drown my travel goal in tokens on my home turf when we get back.

As I read _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, mom picks an exit, and dad pulls off. There's a huge shopping center where we can get lunch. I glance out the window, and see a familiar name on a sign:

_Fun Land._

No way.

I snatch my little notebook out of my back pocket and open it to the marked page. Fun Land, Fredericksburg, VA.

The exit was to Fredericksburg.

Ah, the irony.

Yay, mom.

And it'll be right on our way out after lunch. I'm glad to have mom on my side here.

We grab snack food at a Wal-Mart, and pull into Fun Land. Dad and Nathan chill in the SUV and eat while mom and I head in. The place is huge. We inquire, and find that the machine is in the back. I purchase enough tokens for one game and hurry to it.

The marquee says simply 'Dance Dance Revolution'. Wow. Classic stuff. The screen is dingy, though, and the pad looks like it's seen WAY better days. For crying out loud, the metal casing is bent and dangerous-looking in a few places. One strip of metal paneling is jutting up. Yikes.

I'm not going to be choosy, though. The paneling is ripped on the other side of the pad.

I slip in my tokens and start up a game. It's rather difficult to read the screen, but not impossible. I'm playing DDR in Virginia, this is something to add to my list.

As I make my selections, I realize that this isn't Dance Dance Revolution, this is DDR Extreme, they just haven't replaced the marquee. Okayy...

Another thing that slightly deflates my good mood, I accidentally select Love This Feelin' while looking away. I like the song, but I don't like dancing to it at all.

Brushing my distaste aside, I get ready to play.

What the _heck?_

I'm hitting the arrows, but nothing is registering. God, this makes our poor old machine look PRISTINE! Only one arrow seems to have any functioning sensors!

I fail miserably, despite my best efforts. Out of tokens and enthusiasm, I sulk out of the arcade, into the vehicle, and into my lunch.

Why is it that any distant DDR venture of mine has ended in failure? Bah.

I'm relating to Marvin from the _Hitchhiker's Guide _now.

Finally, we get home. I never thought I'd be so happy to see 90 humidity. After two nights of righting my internal clock from late nights and lack of sleep, my brother and I head to the mall. My territory. It's been a while.

Being Saturday, some regulars are around. Good to see them.

I get it out of my system. I pour my tokens into the slot, and my spirit into keeping my feet moving. I pull out a few freestyle moves. I play until my throat hurts from breathing so hard.

Then I go home, still disappointed in my plan, but in the long run, satisfied. DDR is an addiction easily sated, regardless of location.

Today. Sunday. My legs are killing me. It seems it took this long for a week and a half of not working out, 15+ total miles of walking in Mystic, and two or three sudden hours of DDR to kick in. my left ankle is stiff, the calf muscle sore. In my right leg, the pain is in my thigh, nearer my hip.

The soles of my feet are tired from the impact.

I laugh at my own self-inflicted trouble. I'm such an extremist. There's no discretion on my part. I always burn myself out completely. I dance for all or nothing.

But I'll heal up and be at it again. There's always tomorrow.


	34. What was once the 10,000 word challenge

(A/N: Augh! Screw the 10,000 word thing! You're all sick to deathof the notification email, I'm deeply sorry if you got a wave of it, but I had no clue it would be THIS HARD to get 10,000 even. My word processor says that the below set of words will bring it up exactly. But thinks I'm 50 words below? Everytime I try to figure out what I need to do, say add words or change stuff around, it blows up in my face. When I try to figure out what I missed,it brings me back to where I started. MWord says 787 words, says 740! Augh!)

I've challenged myself to bring my poetry to an even one-quadruple-zero with this entry.

So, let's get started already.

Soundtrack, sound check, one, two, three.

Extreme and MAX2 on CD.

Jacon, Metrocon I scoured,

Each time fought for over an hour.

Couldn't make up half my mind

'tween this or that of another kind.

Each time, Sunday, bought them up

Dumped the cash I saved all up.

Jacon last was bust from the start.

As we pulled in, Sonny Strait pulled out.

Bummed beyond reason, I cruised for CDs,

Finding, at discount, DDRMAX2 and R.O.D!

Still bummed out, but a little better,

I headed with mom back into the car.

She handed me a bag when we got in.

I found she got me FF10!

We listened to that down the homeward road,

My disappointment almost entirely KO'ed.

I missed the autograph we set out to get,

But what awesome CDs we managed to net!

Metrocon was really tough,

Soundtracks, man, they had enough.

A year's worth of searching come to an end,

Only I don't have all the money to spend.

Six on my must have list, all'a them here,

But cash enough for three I only brought this year.

Stepped away to bought more stuff,

Came back thrice, each time was tough.

Soundtracks were still sitting there,

I held out longer, hoping for discount fare.

Sunday rolled in, lo and behold,

The price was the same, that seller's cold!

I broke and I spent, I could only get two,

So I made myself pick, what else could I do?

I passed over them all, eliminated it to

Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy ten-two.

But wait! There's more! I found out

I still had cash left for one more bout.

I dove in the bin, selected my final dream

Soundtrack, today, was DDR Extreme.

Finally broke, I went swiftly home,

And submerged myself in soundtrack realms.

I'm saving the world, and dancing in thought,

To stuff I saved money for months before I bought.

Metro also had DDR competition,

And I had every plan of making that my mission.

A RedOctane pad as a prize for the triumph?

You know I'd be there, dancing hard enough.

But 2:00 PM rolled around, and I was stuck,

A schedule lag put me in temporal muck.

I was too late, I lost my chance.

The crowd was too thick for me to once dance.

The competition over, I didn't know who won,

I was just bummed out that I wasn't the one.

But I shrugged it off as I went home,

I paid at Megacon, so I have my own.

I wanted the new one so I'd have a pair,

And play double at home like the arcade there.

Alas, but there's another chance,

At the next competition, I WILL DANCE.

So went Metrocon, 1, 2, 3

Days it was a whirlwind for me.

No pad for me, but soundtracks three,

I think I can go on happily.

Haven't been at rest since May,

I went to the mall, but didn't dance today.

I'm a working DDR freak, so I had to impress,

I couldn't go play 'cause I was too well dressed.

I'm broke as can be, so I bide my time.

Cash in a paycheck, and the dance will be mine.

Not today yet, but maybe tomorrow,

I get to go through pain and sorrow

Of training my muscles back into place,

And dancing again at my usual pace.

If I went now, and went all out,

I'd die then and there, without a doubt.

I'm missing Ame and all the regs,

I kinda miss the pain in my legs.

All'a that's what makes it fun,

Dancing DDR alone, or one-on-one.

I miss the rush, and I miss the sweat,

While I'm not playing, I put on weight.

My legs feel weak and my mind feels stale,

I need the game to my mind, regale.

I feel out of shape, and out of place.

I feel I've lost both rhythm and grace.

I miss the high, the groove, the flow.

I miss the BPMs, fast and slow.

But I keep all the beats memorized to heart,

I'll need a warm up, but not a fresh start.

I'll still be able to dance in my sleep,

And in my soul, the steps I'll keep.

Here we are. I'm winding up.

This challenge was good, but not too rough.

It was pretty fun, seeya next time,

When I find another way and reason to rhyme.

So here I stand, my poem done,

My limit reached, my challenge won.


End file.
